Love, Lust and Lies: The Ties That Bind
by BeautifulStruggle
Summary: When did she come to feel so much comfort from him?  When did he make her feel safe?   When did she start to crave him?  He was an addiction: One that she never wanted to recover from. But was he enough to replace her true desire?[NaruSaku][NarutoxSaku]


This is an excerpt from a story I'm working on called "The Ties That Bind". As I worked on the story, I realized that the prologue/ First chapter is so unique from the full plotline that I though it warranted a chance to stand alone. So I took two segments from the story and let them sit as a sort of one-shot story. I figured this would be a fun read for those who love romantic moments and especially for fans of this pairing. I must say it might be a bit misleading as to what the full story is about, but I still think it's a fun segment regardless. Please forgive me in advance for any mistakes you find. I didn't get a chance to run this past a Beta and I tried my best to catch any mistakes on my own.

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**Love, Lust and Lies: The Ties That Bind**

* * *

"I hope you realize how much I will be counting on you two."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," the two teammates said in unison.

"Sakura, as my apprentice, you will be my eyes and ears, I expect you to be the one who does the majority of the speaking."

"Yes, Hokage-sensei," The girl never once looked at her teacher. Instead she found herself getting lost in the cerulean gaze of the yellow-haired boy at her side.

"And as for you, Naruto," Tsunade continued. "I expect you to be on your best behavior. This is your first ambassador's mission and your role is just as important as Sakura's."

"Yes, Hokage-sama." If the Fox container had been paying attention he would have realized he didn't bother calling Tsunade by his usual nickname for her. He was too focused on the impish smile that adorned Sakura's supple lips. He took a second to make sure the village leader's back was turned before he reached to take her hand. He felt her initial hesitation when she tried to pull away, but a heartbeat later he felt her fingers intertwine with his own. The girl turned and faced away from him, but her emerald orbs continued to stare at him out of the corners of her eyes.

"I will be ranking this mission as A Rank. However, I don't expect you to see combat."

Before Tsunade turned around, her two subordinates had already separated their hands. If the Hokage had bothered to look up from her paperwork she would have seen the identical looks of mischief on both their faces. "I am classifying this mission so high because of the importance it has on relations with our border countries. This could be the first step towards peace with our enemies."

They waited until she turned around before they reached out for one another again. Instead of grasping her hand this time, Naruto lightly and deliberately walked his fingers up the side of her slender arm. He could see her shiver slightly before she turned her head to glare at him. He met her gaze, expecting to see anger but was instead greeted by an expression of desire. He raised his brow and grinned at her, catching the meaning in her eyes loud and clear, '_I want you_.'

He chanced another glance to see if Tsunade was still occupied. The woman he affectionately referred to as "Baa-chan" was still rambling about the details of their upcoming mission. Without taking his eyes off the back of his Hokage, the young jounin boldly slid his arm around the waist of his life-long teammate. With a quickness that surprised Sakura, he slid his hand down from her waist and let it rest on her backside. He then took a handful of flesh and squeezed firmly enough to startle the kunoichi.

"Eep!"

The little noise came out a bit louder than she intended. The small outburst was more than enough to catch the attention of their mentor. The female Hokage stopped mid-sentence and turned to face them. By the time Tsunade turned around, Naruto had already pulled his hands away and Sakura was praying the warmth creeping over her cheeks wasn't too visible.

"Something wrong, Sakura?"

"Oh no, Hokage-sama." She said. "I'll think I'm just c-coming down with something."

The blonde Hokage eyed her apprentice for a moment with a questioning glance. After a moment she shrugged and glanced back down at her paperwork.

"I only hope whatever you come down with doesn't interfere with your work."

"No Hokage-sama," Sakura said as she stared at Naruto with a look of annoyance. This time he avoided her gaze and tried desperately to suppress the smirk on his face.

It was another ten minutes before the Hokage dismissed the two jounin teammates. When they exited the office, Sakura purposely rushed ahead of Naruto. Predictably, the blonde jounin sped up until he was walking beside her in the hallway. The girl tried not to smile at the gullibility of her teammate, but she ended up turning away to hide her amusement. Still, she got what she wanted; Naruto was following her and she wouldn't complain. She reached into her pocket for a pen, trying to pretend she didn't notice his presence.

"She acts like we haven't been briefed for this mission," He said, trying to strike up a conversation as he slid up next to her. "We have only been going over every detail for the last two weeks. We've spent six years as shinobi, the last two as jounin. You would think by now she would trust us a little more."

"I'm not speaking to you," Sakura said with a tone of mock annoyance. The young medic began to wrap her long hair around the pen in her hand until her rose-colored locks were pulled up in a make-shift bun on the top of her head. She pretended to ignore Naruto and tilted her head away from him with her nose up in the air.

"Hey, what did I do?" He tried to play hurt, but she could tell by the tone in his voice that it was just an act.

"You almost got us into trouble back there," she said matter-of-factly. "I'm surprised Tsunade-sama didn't figure out what you were doing."

"You mean what WE were doing," He corrected her, stepping in front of her to block her path. "I seem to remember someone biting her lip invitingly and giving me these little teasing looks. I only responded." He loved seeing the small smirk on her lips that she had now. It was so close to the sultry smile she gave him whenever she was in a playful mood and they were alone.

"I did no such thing," Sakura said as she sidestepped him and moved into the tower stairway. He quickly followed behind, the glint in his sky-blue orbs showing the thrill he got from chasing her. After going down a few flights to the bottom, he gave her arm a gentle but firm tug to turn her around.

"I seem to remember things differently, Sakura-chaaaan." He exaggerated her name as she stepped closer to him.

"Whatever could you be taking about, Naruto-kuun?" He reached up to the side of her face and felt the warmth radiate off her skin as he touched her cheek delicately. Never once did she break his gaze. He couldn't help but love the mischievous tone in her voice as she spoke his name. It was so inviting, so demanding of his attention. She knew all too well how to push his buttons and it only encouraged him to do the same to her.

"I seem to remember this little expression on your lips," He said as he ran his thumb across her lower lip and her eyelids fluttered as he touched her. "And that devilish look in your eye that seems to speak volumes." Sakura couldn't keep herself from taking a sharp breath as she laid her face against his palm. He took a few steps towards her until she was leaning against the wall behind the stairwell. Now his full attention was on her lips. She had them parted invitingly and they were slightly red from his touch. To Naruto, it only made him want her more.

"And what did my lips and eyes say to you?" she asked in a throaty, horse whisper.

"They told me that you wanted me to do something." By now she had melded her body against his and he could feel her heartbeat increase. His breathing had become labored now that their faces were close enough to feel her breath flow over his skin.

"So why haven't you done it?"

For a moment they stood frozen against the wall. Their breathing was so hard now that it almost seemed like they were panting. Her eyes bore into his with a look that dared him to act. Finally, he took one more ragged breath before capturing her lips with his own. Immediately she gave him access to her mouth and let his tongue find hers. She tried her hardest to merge her body with his, but no matter what she couldn't get enough contact with his body to satisfy her need. As they deepened the kiss, she moaned into his mouth and took hold of his head with both hands. When they broke there kiss, she had her left leg wrapped around him and he held her up by her backside. Both jounin desperately gasped for air like they had forgotten how to breathe. After catching their breath, she looked at him and noticed the glazed expression on the boy's face.

"Be at my place at nine." She told him before she untangled herself from his grasp. Naruto stumbled into the wall, shaking his head, trying to get rid of the dizzying sensation brought on from the kiss. She smiled and fanned herself as she walked away but didn't bother to look back at the poor boy. Sakura knew he was watching her so she adjusted her stride to give him a bit of show. When it came to Naruto, she thought it was always best to leave him wanting more.

* * *

She tasted the salty dampness of his skin as she groaned into his neck. For Sakura, it felt like he was taking her over with each movement and consuming her body and soul. For him, he touched her as if there were a hunger within him that urged him on and refused to be satisfied no matter how much of herself she surrendered to him. As he reveled in the softness of her skin, he heard her moan as she arched her back in order to feel more of him. His intensity fed her desire and she felt the familiar warmth building within her.

"More," she moaned into his ear. "More, Naruto, more!"

They moved together at a quicker pace and to Sakura it felt like a fluid dream. Finally, as she felt her release, she clawed his back as she cried out his name.

They laid there, the only light coming from the full moon beaming through the window. She panted heavily as she enjoyed the sensation of his weight on top of her. When did she come to feel so much comfort from his closeness? When did he start to make her feel safe? When did she start to _crave_ him?

"I think I'm addicted to you." She said when she finally caught her breath. She felt his body shake as he chuckled.

"If that's the case, you were my drug of choice a long time ago." Naruto gave her a small kiss on the forehead as he slid down next to her. She snuggled into his side and he automatically placed his arms around her and pulled her closer.

"I'm serious," she said with a lithe tone in her voice. "I can't go a day without a fix from you."

He frowned at this, but he did not let her see it.

"You don't mean it." He said solemnly. She sat up now, detecting the hurt in his voice.

"Of course I mean it! I love you!" She spoke it as if were the most well known fact in existence. However, Naruto knew perfectly well it couldn't be completely the case; she had yet to tell anyone that they spent so much time together.

"Sakura-chan," He began with a sad smile. "I know you love me, but it's not the same."

"Don't you dare. . . ," Her eyes turned into thin slits as she spoke; she knew exactly where this was headed. "He doesn't count."

"Do you really mean that?"

"O-Of course I do!" However, she couldn't hide the hesitation in her voice. The light reflected off his eyes and she could see the small hurt in them.

"Sakura-chan, it's alright. I understand how things are." She couldn't look into his eyes now. The girl could see pain in Naruto's eyes and to her, his eyes were too beautiful to harbor sadness.

"It's true you know," she said in a tiny voice. "You make me feel better than I've ever felt."

"Do I make you feel better than he does?" The statement hit Sakura like a sucker punch to the gut. Her first reaction was to come back with something – _anything_ – to prove him wrong. Yet all she could do and hang her head; her silence all the confirmation he needed.

"That's cruel, Naruto," She choked a tear back because she didn't want him to see her cry; not over this. "You're never cruel to me, it's not like you."

"I don't say it to be cruel," he pulled her close again. Surprisingly, she didn't pull away. "It's just the truth of the matter. I know where your heart belongs."

"It belongs with you." She said defiantly.

"Then why can't we tell everyone we are together?"

"Because I don't want them in our business." He looked at her with a skeptical grin. He had heard this argument so many times but after a year it was getting old.

"Who are you trying to convince?"

"You said you weren't being cruel."

"I'm not, my love, I'm not. I know the truth. But you know what; it doesn't bother me." She finally looked him in the eye. She searched his sky blue orbs to confirm his statement. As usual, she saw nothing but pure sincerity. It was at that moment she knew that she didn't deserve him.

"You aren't a replacement." She said with a little more hurt in her voice than she wanted.

"Perhaps not, but if I am, so be it," He leaned in and moved his lips next to her ears. "I have you now. Even if it's just for now, I will be happy with the time I have." She closed her eyes and purred as she felt his voice vibrate in her ear. The chills that ran through her body caused her toes to curl involuntarily.

"I honestly hope he never comes back." She whispered.

"Why is that?"

"Because my heart should belong to someone who won't abandon me." She turned to him now and found his lips with her own without opening her eyes.

"Your heart isn't yours to give me - and he will be back." He assured her.

"Don't say that."

"I know him, and this is home to him whether he believes it or not."

"Then he should have stayed! He had us to back him up. We would have gone with him to find his brother. We had all fought together against Sound and won; why not go after his brother as a team?" The bitterness in her voice flowed like venom from her mouth. He could feel the anger radiate off her skin as she spat out her frustrations with their estranged teammate.

"His vendetta with his brother is his own," he told her. "It wouldn't be right for us to interfere with that."

"So you don't think its right to drag him back from Orochimaru, but it's perfectly alright if he goes off to hunt down his brother?"

"That was different. He was flirting with evil there." Naruto explained. "I can't begrudge him his feud with his brother. I wish he would let us help. . . . . but I understand. Besides, he came back to us – to Konoha – when it counted. And one day, when he's done with his brother, he will come back to you." He looked out towards the window, and she looked up at him. He had come to understand everything around him much to the surprise of Sakura and the rest of their friends. In her years as his teammate she witnessed the metamorphosis from brash loudmouth to the calm and confident shinobi who she came to depend on. She honestly believed he knew both her and Sasuke better than they knew themselves.

She sat up and moved until she straddled him, something that took his attention away from his thoughts that were flying out the window. "I don't want to talk about other men while you share my bed," she told him as she fluttered kisses on his chest. "Right now I need you to make me feel better." He groaned as his body tensed up at the touch of her lips against his skin. She sat up straight and reached up to hold his face so that she could stare into his eyes. "Fill me with nothing else but you. Love me until his essence is gone and only yours remains." Her emerald orbs seemed to glow as she spoke these words, and a stunned Naruto could only look at his beloved with newfound love and desire. The two lovers rolled over until Sakura was on her back. Naruto pulled the covers over their bodies and did his absolute best to fulfill her demands.


End file.
